Shloka 10

धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्

Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct

Devanagari script

वैश्यकर्म च यो विप्रो लोभमोहव्यपाश्रय: । ब्राह्माण्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्प करोत्यल्पमति: सदा

Transliteration

vaiśyakarma ca yo vipro lobhamohavyapāśrayaḥ | brāhmaṇyaṁ durlabhaṁ prāpya karoty alpamatiḥ sadā ||

Translation

Mahādeva nói: “Một Bà-la-môn, đã đạt được Bà-la-môn tính vốn hiếm có, mà lại nương tựa vào tham và si, và vì tâm trí nhỏ hẹp thường trực mà làm công việc thuộc về Phệ-xá, thì rơi vào sự tái sinh làm Phệ-xá. Cũng vậy, nếu một Phệ-xá nhận lấy hạnh kiểm và công việc của Thủ-đà-la, người ấy đạt đến thân phận Thủ-đà-la. Một Bà-la-môn làm những việc như Thủ-đà-la và vì thế lệch khỏi dharma của mình, cũng đạt đến thân phận Thủ-đà-la.”

Word by Word

• वैश्यकर्म: the duty/occupation of a Vaiśya
• वैश्यकर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्यकर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• विप्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लोभमोहव्यपाश्रयः: one who has taken refuge in greed and delusion
• लोभमोहव्यपाश्रयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभमोहव्यपाश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्माण्यम्: brāhmaṇa-hood, brahmin status
• ब्राह्माण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्माण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• करोति: does, performs
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अल्पमतिः: a person of little understanding
• अल्पमतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पमति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Mahādeva (Mahāśvara/Śiva)
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• vaiśya
• śūdra
• brāhmaṇya (brāhmaṇahood)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that abandoning one’s own dharma out of greed and delusion leads to moral and spiritual decline, expressed here as a fall into a lower social condition/birth. It emphasizes integrity of conduct (ācāra) and self-restraint as safeguards of one’s station and responsibilities.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Mahādeva is speaking in a didactic context, laying down norms of conduct and consequences. Here he states that when members of a varṇa adopt the work and behavior of another varṇa due to base motives, they incur degradation, framed as rebirth into that lower status.